Elevator-door-operating mechanism



(.No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. G. JENKINS. Y I

ELEVATOR DOOR OPERATINGMBCHANISMQ No. 518,409. Patented Apr. 17, 1894.

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ELEVATOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. N0.-518,409. Pate-ntedApr. 17, 1894.

m5 nAnoNAL LIYHDGiiAPNING COMPANY. WASHINGTON. :3. o.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER CURTIS JENKINS, OF SHREWSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEVATOR-DOOR-OP ERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,409, dated April17, 1894.

Application filed April 30, 1892- Serial No. 431,322. (No model.)

wells, which will be extremely efficient, simple, and safe in operation.

To this end, the invention consists of the device described and claimedin this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying two sheets ofdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view from the inside of the well, of adoor with myimprovements applied thereto, the :door being open. Fig. 2is a similar view, the door being closed. Fig. 3 is a view of theelevator well showing a num-.

ber of doors, and the electrical connections to control the dooroperating mechanism. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views illustratingmodifications of the electrical connections.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, A

represents 'a door which is mounted to slide in any convenient manner,and the same may. behung from brackets B and B, and trolleys b on theguide way 0. Another guide-way 0' maybe used to guide the door at thebottom, if desired. On the bracket B is pivoted the bell crank latch D,which has an arm cl that has a catch adapted to engage the stationaryprojection d on the way 0 to hold the door closed.

A suitable cord or wire F is passed around pulleys E and 6 havingsuitable guards fixed to the wall and through a suitable guide F and onone end of the rope is attached a bandle F, and on the other, aweight G.Pivoted on the bracket B is the bell-crank catch D which has catch atadapted to engage the stationary pin or hook at, and the catch D isconnected to the cord F as shown.

The tendency of the weight G is to pull on the latch D to close thedoor, and to pull the catch cl down so as to engage the projection d,but it will be seen that it the handle F is pulled when the door isclosed, as shown in Fig. 2 that the latch (1 will be raised off theprojection d, and thus unlocked, and as the pull is continued, the doorwill be opened. This is an extremely efficient mechanism because thesame pull on the handle F that unlocks the latch, will open the door.

A rod H is mounted on the door, and is arranged so as to bear on the arm01, and the rod H is connected to a small arm or lever h, and by meansof a key or any other suitable device, the latch d may be operated andthe door opened from the outside.

Pivoted as by sorewk on the door in a convenient position to bemanipulated by the operator, is an arm or lever K which has a spring isfastened to the top of the same, and the arm K and the spring arearranged in a bracket it so that the normal tendency of the right-handend of the arm K is'against the lower side of bracket Z0 Any suitablehandle may be placed at any convenient point on the lever, so that thesame can be manipulated by the operator.

On the right hand end of the arm K is arranged a catch k Pivoted at m isa latch M, which has a curved projecting arm m and a spring m isarranged so as to normally pull the right hand end of the latch againstastop m, and on the same end of the latch is arranged an armature m thatis'adapted to coact with the magnet M. .A roll as L is fixed to thedoor, so that as the door is opened, the roller L will run or bear onthe curved projection m and will push the armature m against, or nearlyagainst the magnet, but if the magnet is not energized, the armaturewill move away from the magnet before the catch 10 can engage the catchm of the arm M, so as not to lock the door in its open position. Abufier-spring R is arranged to take the impact of the door, as the dooris opened,

and-to aid in the action of said catches, and also store up energy toovercome the inertia of the door in closing. Thus it will be seen thatby pulling on the handle F the door may be opened, and that as the dooropens, the

roller L will cause the armature m to move against magnet M, but ifmagnet M is not energized, the catches 70 and m will not engage, but ifthe magnet is energized, the catches k and m will engage, and thus holdthe door open; and when the magnet is deenergized, the catches will bereleased by means of the spring m and the door will be closed by theaction of the weight G and spring R. Also, it will be seen that thecatches can be disengaged by the manipulation of the handle K.

I provide means whereby when the car is at any landing the magnet M willbe energized, but the instant the car is started or moved away from thelanding, that the magnet wlll be (ls-energized, and thus the doorautomatically closed.

Iteferring to the preferred form of electrical connections, as shown inFig. 3, it will be seen that upon the car S is mounted a switch orhandle F, by means of which through electrical or any other suitableconnections the action of the motor, that raises or lowers the car canbe controlled. Also, it will be seen that upon the handle is mounted acontact piece 13 and that the handle t and the contact piece i connectby wires 101 and 100 respectively through battery T to the magnet M atthe various landings. Thus itwill be seen that when the handle t is inits central position on the piece 25 a current will be sent a throughall the magnets M and thus the same will be energized, whereby thecatches of any of the doors may engage if the door is opened.

' through the magnet M will be released and any door that is open willbe automatically closed.

In Fig. 4 instead of using a magnet for every catch, I have used asingle magnet N and have arranged a vertical rod U which has an armatureN, and the weight of the rod is counter-balanced by the spring V, andthe tension of the spring is adjusted by nut W. On the rod are mountedstops, as shown, which engage all the arms M so that if any door isopened, the armature m will be forced toward the magnet, and it thecircuit is completed through the contact piece 15 the magnet M will beenergized, and the door will be held open, but the instant the car isstarted by the manipulation of the handle 25 the circuit through magnetM will be broken, and hence the armature m will be released by themagnet M and all the latches released so thatallthe open doors willautomatically close.

In Fig. 5, I have shown another modifica' tion, which is very similar tothe modification shown in Fig. 4 except that instead of a vertical rodU, and counterbalancing spring V I use a cable or wire rope 104 passingover suitable pulleys 105 and 106, and I place a weight Y on the backside of said cable which will act the same as the spring V of theprevious device. The operation of this modification is thought to beapparent.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the Wires 100 and 101 connectingthe source ofelectrical energy as battery T, as provided with switches 20 at thevarious landings and a cam 21 on the car that is adapted to close saidswitches when be broken, and the magnets M will release their armatures,thereby the latches will be released and all the doors that are openedwill be automatically closed.

Of course, instead of using a battery T as the source of electricalenergy to control the magnets, I could use anyother suitable source, asfor instance, a shunt from an electrical motor used to raise or controlthe elevator car. Thus it will be seen that I have invented a simple andefficient means for controlling all the doors in an elevator well, andone by which, when the car starts to move in either direction that allthe open doors will be antomatically closed. Further, it will be seenthat with my device, the car can be controlled from any landing, and allthe open doors closed without an attendant. Also, that the door can bepartly opened by hand without engaging the catch, and thus aconsiderable saving of time is effected, as for example, when it isdesired to again open the door to take on another passenger. Also, asthe doors all close automatically as the car starts, the same will actas a safety device, and warn any persons in a landing or partially onthe car, who would be liable to be struck or hurt by the car.

The details and arrangements of parts herein shown and described may begreatly varied bya skilled mechanic without departing from the scope ofmy invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a sliding door, and alatch adapted to keep thesame locked, of a weight connected by a cord to said latch so asnormally to keep said latch in its locked position, said cord projectingbeyond said latchand having a handle whereby by pulling on said handlethe latch may be raised and the door opened, and by releasing saidhandle, the door will be closed, and the door locked by action of saidweight, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a sliding door, means as a weight connected tokeep the same in one position, said door having a pivoted arm as K,having a catch 70 of the arm M having a curved portion n at one end, andan armature n at the other end of the magnet N 00- operating witharmature n, and a roller L adapted to bring the armature m in contactwith the magnet, so that the said catch 70 can engage said arm M, andelectrical connections to said magnet, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a catch, and armature controlling and connected tosaid catch,

of a magnet controlling said armature, a 00- operating catch or latchwith which the first named catch is adapted to engage, and means forbringing the armature mechanically against the magnet, as one of saidcatches approaches the other, so that the catches will engage if themagnet is energized, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the elevator car, of the sliding elevator door Ahaving an arm or latch K, an arm M pivoted to the wall, having a catchas m adapted to engage and hold said arm K, of a spring as m for holdingthe catch m out of engagement with the arm K, of an armature as m onsaid arm M, and a magnet as N controlling the said armature, a roller asL mounted on the door, adapted to bringsaid armature mechanicallyintocontact with the magnet as the door is opened, so that the catches willengage only if the magnet is energized, of electrical connectionsextending to said magnet, and a switch mounted on the car, to which saidelectrical connections pass, substantially as described.

5. An elevator arranged in an elevator well 2 5 in the usual manner, ofa plurality of doors opening into said well, each door havinga latch, acatch adapted to engage'each of said latches to hold each of said doorsopen, means for automatically closing said doors, a magnet controllingsaid catches, a source of electric energy, and connections to saidmagnet, and normally opened circuit breakers, controlled from themovement of said car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EBENEZER CURTIS JENKINS.

Witnesses:

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE, E. M. HEALY.

